Fire and Darkness
by Sheila51
Summary: The Babylon station is the last best hope for victory, she may be the last best hope for peace. Re-write of an old story '2261: the year everything changed'. R&R please...


**Fire and Darkness**

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**_A/N: _This is a rewrite of my story 'The year of fear'. I hope you enjoy. And thank to the reviewer who made me get my butt int gear abut this story, thanks! 

Summary: The last best hope forvictory is Babylon 5, it's last best hope may be a Telepath taken by the Vorlons to become the ultimate weapon.

_Prologue: Last Hope_

2259: Minbar: The gardens of Valen.

Jeffery Sinclair turned around and watched the young woman's approach along the path of crushed crystal, between beds of exotic plants, the sweetly scented flowers swayed as she moved past them. Her face was remarkably beautiful to his human senses, well as beautiful as a Minbari could ever be. He looked at his companion as the Ranger bowed to them, her eyes closing in reverence has her hands formed their traditional place before her. Kosh watched him with an impenetrable stare from within the dark encounter suit.

"Entil'Zah" she said in her soft, melodious voice bringing him back from his musings. She bowed to Kosh. "Ambassador." The Vorlon acknowledged her bow before returning its gaze to Sinclair. Jeff paused a moment as the two pairs of eyes watched him, gauging his thoughts in different ways.

"Laralennh" he smiled at her. "I have a…" he searched for a word that would fit with what he wanted to say, and how he wanted to say it. "Proposition for you." He said finally, the words bitter even to his ears. A hint of a frown marred her forehead. He motioned that she should walk with him. "The Vorlon's have requested that your presence on their homeworld for a time…" He glanced back at Kosh. "They have a 'mission' they wish you to go on." He trailed off uncomfortably, knowing she saw through those words easily, no being had visited the Vorlon homeworld in the memory of the Minbari.

"I see." Was all she said. He had a strange feeling that her lovely eyes were seeing right past his smile to his discomfort at what Kosh had said. _'If she returned she would be different. She will change beyond all redemption.'_ The words still made his blood run cold.

"Now," he began. "I will not order you to go…" He glanced at Kosh "In fact I don't want you too go." He looked at her thoughtful face. "But the decision is entirely yours…" She nodded and smiled a thanks for his trust in her. She looked at the Vorlon, her grey eyes narrowed in contemplation.

"I understand," she said, the words precise and firm.

"Now if you need time-" he began when she cut him off.

"And I accept." she said nodding curtly to cut him off. He felt a thrum of fear pulsate though his soul. She looked at him with her wide grey eyes clear and firm without doubt. He looked away from her penetrating gaze and nodded.

"May you go in Valen's name…" She bowed and began to walk away. He felt a great sadness well up in him. The Vorlon had said _'if she returns'_…

"Laralennh!" he called after her. She turned back towards him.

"Entil'Zah?" She replied. He looked at her, trying desperately to memorize her lovely face, to catalogue her gentle voice, the way she moved and the smile she so rarely bestowed on others.

"May God be between you and harm, and in all the empty places where you must walk." He said softly, she bowed again and smiled.

"Thank you Entil'Zah…" She paused. "May the Universe be kind to us all" She offered before turning and leaving. He closed his eyes and bowed his head. "I am so sorry Laralennh…" He whispered brokenly as the Vorlon left him.

Marcus moved down the corridor at a quick trot, ignoring the scandalized expressions of the Minbari acolytes he passed. He slowed as he reached the long corridor that ended in two highly decorative doors made mostly of colored crystal. No matter how softly he tried to walk, his footsteps echoed eerily around him, causing something uncontrollable to make his heart thump.

As he approached the doors opened inwards so he didn't even have to brake stride, he moved inside and glanced around, the rich green of her gown contrasted with her normal pale or dark training clothes and seemed even more to indicate his worst fears.

Her arms were wrapped around herself, and her head was bowed as she looked out the window.

"It seems strange to me that I only see true beauty, only realise truth when I must farewell it." Her words were very soft and he realised how very vulnerable she seemed. He frowned.

"It's true then, you're leaving us." She turned around. Her eyes fastened on him, as always they held a simple feeling of command as they watched, as always he ended up looking away.

"Yes." Her reply was short and firm, but soft all the same.

"And when were you going to tell me about this?" he asked indignantly his eyes returning to look at her. She did not reply her back stiff and her eyes watching him critically. "You told me when I came here you don't trust others easily, but I thought that even if you didn't trust me that perhaps you might have enough-"

"I do trust you." She interrupted him, her vice cold and sharp. "If I did not, you would not be my pupil, if I did not you would not have been able to find me."

"But when I came here I thought you said this was the only place for you, that Minbar was your home, that you didn't leave..." she shook her head.

"When you came-" she turned away for a moment, her shoulders heaving. She looked out the window while he stood there, acutely aware he had never seen any emotions like these ones in her before. Anger yes, and joy but not this, not the strange fear that seemed to grip her. Laralennh's arms were again wrapped around herself.

"When I saw you, Marcus," she began calmly, turning back to him. "I recognised in you a kindred soul." He frowned fiercely as she motioned towards a seat, he knew she would take it as rudeness if he declined. "You were searching for a reason- and finding none. And part of you, part of your heart was broken and dying because of your losses." She moved across from him her eyes never leaving his before siting opposite. My heart had long been dead when you came here, and that I feared for you, that pain that I have known for so long." She shivered as though the room hand grown cold.

"And to that end I have done all that I can- for now. And so with my duty here to you ended I cane leave. Soon you will be going missions Marcus, this is my mission." She smiled and stood. "I find, Marcus, that my heart is less dead than I had feared, and so I must go, I must leave and do as is required of me." She motioned for him to stand.

"But for now it is time for you to go, you will miss your class, and that will not do." She smiled her ands automatically straightening his skewed robes. She moved away while he paused, awkward at being so casually dismissed and desperate to ask one final question.

"When will you be coming back?" the words escaped before god judgement told him he should not ask. She looked back at him, a single long glance.

Silently he left, leaving her looking out into the gardens.

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TBC... 


End file.
